Minx Musings | Blog Posts by Sunday Minx

✗ BEHIND THE SCENES: THE ART OF STYLING

Posted by Brooke Rudzis on October 14, 2015

I so often hear that we live in a time-poor society, yet with social media channels such as Instagram and Pinterest continuing to deliver longer session times and increased engagement with their audiences, I believe we are still making time for the things we enjoy - we just need them to be delivered in an easy to digest and thoroughly enjoyable format.

Enter the Power of Imagery...

Inspiring imagery is becoming more influential and more important than ever.Beautiful aesthetics, perfectly positioned objects, shapes and patterns and the ability to effortlessly create a mood in a single image are pivotal in gaining attention and provoking interest.

Sunday Minx was incredibly fortunate to work with styling superstar, Sarah Jade Cousens of Sarah Jade Design. Her eye for detail and overall vision in bringing our brand look and feel to life was a joy to watch and a privilege to work with.

Today we chat with the talented Sarah and learn more about her background, experience and the joy she gets from achieving that perfectly styled shot!

When did you start styling and how did you discover this line of work?

I started styling a year and a half ago. I studied Interior Design at Sydney Design School and the course offered a styling component in collaboration with Temple & Webster. As part of the component, we met with the Temple & Webster’s creative team and had the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the styling world.

Our project was to come up with a concept and style some product provided by T&W that would be judged by the Creative Director and Head of Styling. I was lucky enough to be chosen as the winner of the challenge and was offered an internship which then lead to continuous work with the company. I knew when I started studying that styling was always the road I wanted to take, and this internship was the kick start I needed to launch myself head first into the industry.

What is the most surprising thing about styling?

Most people wouldn’t realise the preparation that is involved prior to the actual shoot because all you usually see is the final image. Sourcing props, preparing sets and chasing up product are some of the main components of the job. You also spend a lot of time driving around! Having a car (with a large boot) is a must!

What have been your favourite or most challenging jobs?

I was very fortunate to be taken to Japan for Sony Australia earlier this year. A week spent in Tokyo with an awesome crew creating beautiful imagery was a lot of fun that I will be forever grateful for.

The most challenging job was my most recent advertising Christmas campaign for Surf Dive N’ Ski. With a very tight turn around from concept to execution, every element of the 4 different room sets needed to be sourced, prepped and built from scratch. I worked alongside another insanely talented stylist Jono Fleming and organisation was the key to our success. Checklists were written and cross checked every day leading up to the shoot to make sure we were on top of everything! There were a lot of late nights and dreams about tinsel, but to see our concept come to life was really satisfying and exciting!

Do you have a preferred style?

I have been dubbed ‘the minimalist queen’ by fellow colleagues! Haha! This is due to my personal aesthetic being heavily inspired by elements of Scandinavian and Japanese design and I often subconsciously pare back the shots as a bit of a signature. I love the clean lines and simplicity that the Scandinavians have perfected juxtaposed with the imperfections of the Japanese wabi-sabi culture, but I can definitely appreciate different styles and adapt to them to achieve an appropriate and successful outcome for the client.

Who/What do you look to for inspiration?

Cereal Magazine and Kinfolk are my number one go to’s for inspiration and to just simply appreciate beautiful imagery. I also love the styling and photography duo Marsha Golemac & Brooke Holm, their work is always beautifully executed. I find that Instagram is a really great tool for inspiration and networking. There are so many talented creatives all around the world and I have been lucky to have collaborated with some of my favourite photographers through Instagram, which I think is really awesome that social media has allowed us to do so.

What are your long term goals?

I hope to keep growing and learning more each day. I want to continue to build my portfolio and to be able to take my career overseas to work and collaborate with other creatives!

Browse Sarah's website to see more of her incredible work - in addition to the many amazing images across the Sunday Minx website that showcase her eye for style. We can't wait to work with her again in the future!